This week in Hollywood

Is there a movie in the tumultuous life of wild-man minister of comedy Sam Kinison, who died in an automobile crash in 1992? Producer David Permut (Face/Off) thinks so; he just optioned Brother Sam, a bio written by Bill Kinison and Steve Delsohn. Permut hasn’t yet signed a screenwriter or director but envisions a $7 million indie ”that looks like $15,000. There was nothing about Sam’s life that was particularly slick or glossy.” He expects to cast an unknown as Kinison, surrounding him with name comics playing themselves. Does that include Kinison pal Howard Stern, who held an earlier option on the book? ”Howard can do anything [on the movie] he wants,” Permut says with a laugh.